The Lezgic languages are one of seven branches of the Northeast Caucasian language family, spoken primarily by the Lezgin ethnic groups.
Lezgin languages are spoken by some 1 million people.
Classification The languages of minor Lezgic peoples demonstrate a distinct convergence toward the standardized Lezgin literary language. Lezgin, Aghul, Rutul, Tabasaran, Tsakhur and Udi are literary languages. Khinalug may either be Lezgic or an independent branch of the Northeast Caucasian family. Peripheral: Archi – 1,700 speakers7. НАСЕЛЕНИЕ НАИБОЛЕЕ МНОГОЧИСЛЕННЫХ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОСТЕЙ ПО РОДНОМУ ЯЗЫКУ SamurLanguages in the Caucasus, by Wolfgang Schulze (2009) (Nuclear Lezgic) Eastern Samur Caucasian Albanian † – extinct Udi – 6,600 speakers Lezgin–Aghul–Tabasaran Lezgin – 800,000 speakers Aghul – 33,200 speakers Tabasaran – 87, 214 speakers Southern Samur Kryts – 5,000 speakers Budukh – 200 speakers Jek – 1,500 speakers Western Samur Rutul – 36,400 speakers Tsakhur – 22,300 speakers
The voicing of ejective consonants The Lezgic languages are relevant to the glottalic theory of Indo-European, because several have undergone the voicing of ejectives that have been postulated but widely derided as improbable in that family. The correspondences have not been well worked out (Rutul is inconsistent in the examples), but a few examples are:
Non-Lezgic: Avar ; Lezgic: Rutul , Tsakhur 'name' Non-Lezgic: Archi , Lak ; Lezgic: Rutul , Tabassaran , Aɡul 'beard' Non-Lezgic: Avar ; Lezgic: Tabassaran 'moon'
A similar change has taken place in non-initial position in the Nakh languages.Paul Fallon, 2002. The synchronic and diachronic phonology of ejectives, p 245.
Vocabulary comparison +Lezgic languagesEastern LezgiSouthern LezgiWestern LezgiPeripheralC. Alban (extinct)LezgiAgulTabasaranUdiBudukhJekKrytsRutulTsakhurArchiKhinalugIzowzunzunuzuzuzynzynzynzyzyzonzyyouwunvunchunuvuhunvynvunvunvyhuunvywežanchunhinuhuyanyinjinzinjishinenttukinallvarivarivarivarivaripitinvarivarivarigyrgynhunniybuchinelonesasadsadsabsasadsabsarsasaossafamilyxzaxizanxizanxizankulfetyebahailekalfatxizanxizanxizanaile LezginAgulTabasaranRutulTsakhur head ḱil (кIил) ḱil (кIил) ḱul (кIул) ḱul (кIул) kalle (калле) jacket valçağ (валчагъ) valçag (валчаг) valjağ (валжагъ) valçağ (валчагъ) valçağ (валчаг) summit ḱuḱ (кIукI) ḱuḱ (кIукI) ḱaḱ (кIакI) ḱul (кIул) ḱol (кIол) montain suv (сув) suv (сув) siv (сив) siv (сив) suva (сува) girl ruş (руш) ruş (руш) riş (риш) reş (реш) nım (ным)bridegroom ččam (ччам) čam (чам) jam (жам) jam (жам) čama (чама) dwelling ḱwal (кIвал) xal (хал) xal (хал) xal (хал) xav (хав) land ččil (ччил) čil (чил) jil (жил) naḉ (начь) jdil (ждил) winter q́üd (кьуьд) ğurd (гIурд) qürd (къюрд) q́üd (кьуьд) q́udum (кьудум) goat c̣eh (цIегь) c̣eh (цIегь) c̣ih (цIигь) c̣i (цIи) c̣e (цIеь) ice murk (мурк) murk (мурк) mirkḱ (миркк) meḱ (мекI) muk (мук) shovel qusu (къусу) ḱiṭa (кIитIа) q́ursi (кьурси) ber (бер) bel (бел) mill reh (регь) rax̣ (рахъ) rağmi (рагъIми) räh (рэх) yoha (йоха) meat yak (як) yaḱ (йакI) yikk (иикк) yak (йак) çuru (чуру) bride swas (свас) sus (сус) şwuşw (швушв) swas (свас) istax (истах) horn karç (карч) ḱarç (кIарч) ḱarç (кIарч) kaç (кач) ğaç (гъач) fire c̣ay (цIай) c̣ay (цIай) c̣a (цIа) c̣ay (цIай) c̣a (цIа) eagle leḳ (лекь) luḱ (лукI) lüḱ (люкь) leg (лег) ḱatir (кьатир) language mez (мез) mez (мез) mez (мез) miz (миз) miz (миз)
See also Lezgin language Lezgin ethnic groups Languages of the Caucasus Northeast Caucasian languages
References
External links Lezgic basic lexica at the Global Lexicostatistical Database
tr:Lezgice